Moonchild
by The Muses of Mars
Summary: Lunafreya sends a message to Noct, asking to meet under the light of a full moon. The exiled prince arrives at Neeglyss Pond and Luna confesses to a shocking secret that will change their world forever. (Inspired by the album art of the Final Fantasy XV Piano Collection soundtrack.)


It was a cool, misty night in Duscae that bordered on cold. Prince Noctis Lucis Caelum's skin felt clammy as he and his three closest friends—Ignis Scientia, Prompto Argentum, and Gladiolus Amicitia—crept silently through the tall, dewy grasses and hazy fog towards Neeglyss Pond, a veritable lake that consumed all the land between Alstor Slough and the Nebulawood.

Ignis noticed the way the prince was shivering. "Noct… You'll catch cold if you don't put on your jacket," he warned the younger man gently, halting their procession so Noctis could get his coat from his pack.

"Can you hurry it up?" Gladio complained. "If the Empire were to catch us now, it would be game over."

Prince Noctis was on his way to a clandestine meeting with Princess Lunafreya Nox Fleuret, and both of them were wanted by the Empire—not necessarily alive. If their enemies were to find the pair conveniently together, they could take them both out at one time and end any hope of the fallen royals reclaiming their respective thrones and pushing back against their oppressors.

"It would be of no use to form a coalition with Lady Lunafreya now if Noct catches his death overnight," Ignis snapped back at the prince's bodyguard as he zipped up the front of the jacket for Noct.

"You know that's not how colds work, right?" Gladio taunted, crossing his arms and striking a nonchalant pose. "You get sick from bacteria and viruses, not from the temperature."

Ignis bristled. "It is exceedingly damp out tonight, Gladio, and His Highness may indeed wind up with pneumonia through prolonged exposure."

"Guys!" Prompto hissed. "We're sitting ducks if we stand around here arguing."

Ignis sighed. "You're right, Prompto. I apologize. We should move on."

The pond should have been in view by now, but the thick fog obscured its rippling waters and the starlight that would have normally been reflected on its surface. Hopefully it would provide them cover, as well.

"This is far enough," Gladio decided, bringing the group to a full stop. "Noct, stick to the treeline and we'll watch from here."

"Huh?" Noct was surprised. "You guys aren't coming with me?"

Gladio just rolled his eyes.

"Noct…" Ignis placed his hands on the prince's shoulders, looking down into his deep blue eyes. "Lunafreya asked to see you alone. I assume it has something to do with your engagement." Noct opened his mouth as if to argue, but Ignis continued. "It is possible the princess's brother sent you a message in the notebook you share with Lunafreya as a ploy to trap you, since he _is_ a traitor…but we would never let you come to harm."

"We got your back, buddy!" Prompto said enthusiastically.

"Not to mention, the lady probably doesn't want an audience for whatever she has to say to you," Gladio added.

Noctis closed his mouth. "Fine," he agreed. "Guess I don't have a choice, then."

Ignis offered him a soft smile, releasing the prince's shoulders to give his back a gentle push. "Off you go, then."

Noct trudged forward down the slope of the hill, doing as Gladio had recommended and keeping to the shadows amongst a cluster of trees to avoid detection by any Magitek troopers who may be on patrol. But there was no sign of anyone, and the night was filled with the sounds of crickets, frogs, and owls, the air alight with the glow of fireflies and moonlight.

Suddenly, just ahead, a spectral figure stepped out from behind a large oak. Noctis's breath caught and he froze, staring as he tried to make out its shape and convince himself he wasn't looking at a ghost.

The figure moved closer, slowly taking form as Noct squinted in the darkness. And at last he recognized Princess Lunafreya Nox Fleuret, her flaxen hair woven into a braided coiffure and her silver gown dragging along the dew-stained ground as she approached.

Noctis felt the tension release from his stiff shoulders as he realized this was definitely not a trap, but resisted the urge to turn and motion to his friends to let them know. Instead he straightened his back and stepped forward to properly greet the princess.

Luna stopped and let him come to her, her face pale beneath the stars but as gentle as an angel's.

"You…wanted to meet?" Noct began. He wasn't really sure what to say to this girl he had last seen twelve years ago, and felt a bit awkward trying to break the ice.

He needn't have bothered; Lunafreya was poised and prepared. "You must have found my request odd, considering the peace treaty that formed our engagement was a ruse."

"Oh, I know you didn't have anything to do with that," the prince said quickly, but Luna held up her hand to cut him off.

"Please, don't apologize. We have both been pawns in this political chess match for far too long. I've come here tonight to show you a way we might slant the board in our favor."

Noctis took a guess. "By…cheating?"

The girl's cherry lips curled into a smile. "You could say that. But it would be better to show you than to tell." She stepped away from Noct. "I need a little space, please."

Noct had no idea what was about to happen, but he took two steps back, watching her curiously.

"A little more, please."

Noct took three more steps back.

Luna slowly lifted her chin up to the sky, leaning her head back to expose a long, lean throat. She closed her eyes and Noct watched as something strange began to happen.

At first he thought it some trick of the dim light, his eyes deceived by the darkness. But slowly his curiosity shifted into confusion, and finally into horror as he realized what he was witnessing was real—and progressing.

Under the light of the full moon, Luna's face stretched and elongated, her dainty white nose becoming a gray, woolly snout. Her overall stature enlarged as if she were bloating, the fabric of her dress ripping apart at the seams and shredding front to back as her slender frame grew until it bulged with swelling muscles beneath a hide of fur.

Noct shrank back, his mouth gaping and his eyes impossibly wide. The creature before him opened its jaws, revealing rows of razor-sharp fangs as an inhuman howl emanated from its shaggy throat. The sound made Noct cover his ears and cry out in fear, his own sound drawing the beast's attention. For a fraction of an instant those ice-blue eyes were on him and he felt his heart stop beating. Then the thing's head bowed and it knelt down to the prince, its body shuddering and shrinking in on itself until only a naked, pale girl was crouched before him.

Luna lifted her head, looking up at him with feral eyes as she slowly rose to her feet.

"Wh-what the hell was that?!" Noct cried, his voice cracking. He was shaking with shock and residual fear, but he regained enough of his senses to realize it was just Luna standing there—Luna, her dress in tatters and her slim arms doing little to cover the skin revealed by the way the fabric of her gown had shredded to ribbons during the unexpected transformation.

"I am a lycanthropist, Noctis—touched by the demi-god Fenrir…for good or ill." She met his gaze evenly. "Surely you must have realized Umbra and Pryna are no ordinary beasts… They are the messengers of Fenrir himself. My family's blessing—or curse, if you prefer—goes back countless generations."

"So…Ravus…?" Noct wondered. "He has this disease, too?" A man with powers like this was dangerous under the control of their enemies.

"My brother is human, but the gene is still strong in our family line. Someone always wears the skin of a wolf; man or woman, it makes no difference. The gift chooses one champion each generation."

"One victim, you mean." Noct was beginning to calm down and get ahold of himself. He had the decency to remove his jacket, helping Luna step into it for covering.

"You're not mistaken to call it thus," Lunafreya admitted, "but now that you have seen what I am and what I can do, you must listen to my plan for bringing down the Empire."

Noct was all ears for _that_ brilliant scheme, but first he insisted they go indoors and get Luna out of the cold night air in her ripped gown. A fisherman's cabin sat on the shore within sight, and they made straight for it. It was locked, but the hinges were old and weak, and Noct was able to break down the door to gain them entry.

While the oracle sat shivering in the remains of her dress, Prince Noctis turned on his flashlight and searched the cabin for means of starting a fire. A stack of logs sat next to the hearth and he was able to find a book of matches in a drawer in the kitchenette. Before long he had a fire roaring and each of the royals held a mug of hot tea in hand.

"So, what's your plan?" Noct asked anxiously as Luna took a sip of tea. She was less pale now, the fire making her cheeks rosy, and she had stopped shivering.

"The Emperor is hungry for power, it is true," Luna began, "but from what my brother tells me, he is not the true threat to Lucis."

"This information came from Ravus?" asked Noct dubiously. "Are you sure you can trust him?"

"My brother is loyal to his country and its rulers, but he loves _me_ ," Luna pointed out. "He does what he must to keep me safe, and if that entails betraying military secrets, so be it."

Noct sighed. "Well, if that's good enough for you, it's good enough for me," he said with a shrug, raising his mug to his lips.

"The real threat, I've been told, is Chancellor Ardyn Izunia."

Noctis nearly spit his tea back out. "Ardyn?!" he repeated, his disbelief clear. "That weirdo with the funny hat who keeps conveniently showing up right before disasters strike?"

Luna's brows lifted in surprise. "You've met the chancellor?"

"One too many times!" Noct growled, slamming his mug down onto his knee, causing the hot tea to slosh.

"My brother convenes with him quite often," Luna remarked, "so my hope is that I can pay a visit to my brother during one of their meetings, and get close enough to—"

"You want to kill the chancellor?" Noctis gasped.

"No," Luna corrected, "I want _you_ to." She gave Noct a moment to process what she'd said before continuing. "You were right to call my condition a 'disease,' because it is indeed contagious." As the prince seemed to shrink back from her, the princess quickly assuaged his fears by telling him, "You haven't contracted it, Noctis; I haven't scratched you."

"Is that all it takes, just a scratch?" Noct swallowed hard. "Maybe it's a good thing we _didn't_ get married…" he muttered. "Uh—that is—I mean—"

"Calm down," Luna said with an amused laugh. "I understand the arrangement was just a political ploy between our two nations. No one asked us if we wanted to marry each other."

"Uh…right." Noct took another sip of his tea, avoiding her eyes.

"My plan is to ask my brother to introduce me to the chancellor," Luna went on as if he hadn't interrupted her, "then when I shake his hand, I will scratch him."

"And then he'll be…like you?" Noct asked, unsure how to phrase the question without giving offense.

"If I break the skin and draw blood," Luna answered, "which is all but guaranteed; I've been growing my nails out for weeks." She held up her free hand to show him her nails. They were indeed long, and sharp like talons.

"But then won't he just have inhuman strength?" Noct asked. "Uh…is it okay to say that?"

"It's fine. And he won't—not in the beginning." Luna leaned closer conspiratorially. "A freshly-turned lycanthrope is like a newborn pup, unable to control its urges or its strength."

"That actually sounds really dangerous." Noct bit his lip. "Are you sure about this?"

"You'll have until the next full moon to strike: that's when his initial transformation will occur, and it will be a long and painful event. When he turns for the first time, he will have no idea what's happening to him. He'll feel as if his body is tearing itself apart, and he will be unable to stop it."

"In other words," Noct summarized, "he'll be losing his mind and too distracted to know we're closing in on him until…"

"Exactly!" Luna sat back in her seat, looking satisfied. "You understand my plan well, Noctis. I feel I've entrusted the job to the right man."

Noct felt heat rising to his face. "Well, I won't be doing this alone; I'll have help."

"Yes, of course—your friends." Luna rose from her chair and carried her empty mug toward the kitchenette. "I won't tell Ravus what I'm planning to do, just in case he should try and stop us. And if you would, please keep this a secret from your companions, as well."

Noct stood from his seat quickly, whirling around to face the princess. "Luna, we can trust them. The guys—they're my best friends. I've known them forever; I trust them with my life."

"Still," the girl murmured, "there is a chance they would disapprove of our plot, as well, and attempt to foil it." She added, pensively, "There is one among you who does not…smell right."

The prince frowned. "What?"

"Forgive me," Lunafreya apologized, realizing how strange her words must have sounded. She explained, "Werewolf senses are incredibly sharp. And I sense something strange about one of your friends, Noctis."

"Which one?"

"It doesn't matter; never mind." Luna rinsed her mug and set the cup upside-down in the sink basin. "You need all the support you can garner. But please consider keeping this between us; I do not reveal the secret of my heritage lightly."

Noctis thought over her position and realized she was probably right. He trusted the guys, of course, but her secret was hers to tell. "I understand," he said at last. "I won't tell them anything except when the moment to strike arrives."

"If I don't send word with Umbra telling you otherwise, assume I was successful at infecting Ardyn with my affliction," Luna said seriously, taking the empty mug from Noct's hands to rinse. "Then you can track the chancellor's movements from your end, and when the next full moon rises, you can rain vengeance upon him for both our families' sakes."

"Just out of curiosity," Noct said, leaning against a kitchen counter, "what happen if we can't get close to him, next full moon? If we have to wait a cycle, how in control will he be?"

Luna didn't answer for a long time. Finally, she said, "Let us pray we do not have to find out."

The door of the fisher's cabin creaked open, causing them both to jump.

Noctis was relieved to see Gladio standing in the doorway. "Gladio! You almost gave me a heart attack," the prince said, putting a hand to his chest to still his beating heart.

"Are you stupid?" Gladio snapped. He rushed over to the fireplace and used the poker to separate the logs and stamped the dwindling fire out with his boot. "We gotta move; the sky's lighting up with Imperial ships."

"Luna—" Noct started.

"Don't worry, Noctis; I am quite safe. I have a means of escape." The gleam in her eyes told Noct exactly what she meant. "But you should hurry and go."

It was only then Gladio realized the girl was wearing Noct's jacket over a dress ripped to pieces. "Just what the hell were you two up to?" he roared. "Noct, did you do something to that girl?!"

"Wha—? No!" Noct stammered, his face red as a Lucian tomato.

"Thank you for your concern," Luna said quickly, "but all is well." She slipped out of Noct's jacket, handing it to him. He and Gladio both averted their eyes to keep from staring at the bare skin revealed by the barely held together scraps of her gown. "Goodbye, Noctis. I look forward to the day we meet again in a free world."

The princess slipped quietly out of the cabin.

"Where are the guys?" Noct asked, unable to meet Gladio's eyes, either, as he wadded his jacket up and tucked it under his arm. He wasn't sure he could put it back on right now, after Lunafreya had used it to cover her naked body.

"They're waiting outside. I expect an explanation later. No—just forget it. I don't want to know." Gladio wiped a hand over his face. "I'm sure the smoke from the chimney was seen from miles away; they're coming, so we need to move."

Noctis nodded. "Got it."

Gladio grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and gave him a shove. "So quit stalling and git!"

Noct _had_ been stalling, giving Lunafreya, Werewolf Princess, time to transform and make good on her escape.

But now he hurried outside to meet up with Prompto and Ignis and run for cover. He had an incredible secret to keep and a dangerous plan to put into action.


End file.
